Plasma levels and symptom complaints in patients maintained on daily dosage of methadone hydrochloride

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Abstract
Plasma methadone levels, symptom complaints, and urine tests for illicit opiate use were followed weekly in 17 patients on a methadone maintenance program. There were very large differences between patients in the plasma level established at a given dosage, implying large differences in the rate of methadone metabolism. Despite virtually constant daily dosage, the plasma methadone levels fluctuated greatly from week to week and from day to day in individual patients. With rare exceptions there was no relationship between plasma methadone level and symptom complaints or between weekly changes in plasma methadone level and changes in symptom complaints. Except possibly to identify the occasional patient with unusually low plasma methadone levels, the determination of methadone levels is not likely to be of practical value in methadone programs.

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